# 1981 Baltimore Colts season

The 1981 Baltimore Colts season was the 29th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL). The Colts finished the NFL's 1981 season with a record of 2 wins and 14 losses, finishing in a tie with the New England Patriots for both last place in their division, the AFC East, and the worst record in the league. However, by virtue of beating the Patriots for their only two wins of the season, the Colts finished ahead of New England on a tiebreaker. Those wins came in the first and last weeks of the season, as the Colts lost their other fourteen games consecutively.
The Colts’ defense had one of the worst seasons in NFL history, setting records for points (533) and yards (6,793) allowed. (The points record was later surpassed by the 2024 Carolina Panthers, who allowed 534. The yardage record was later surpassed by the 2012 New Orleans Saints, who allowed 7,042.) The Colts gave up more than twice as many points as they scored (259). Conversely, the Patriots, with whom they were tied in the AFC East, only gave up 48 more points than they scored. The Colts’ pass defense surrendered a staggering 8.19 yards-per-dropback, the most surrendered by any team in NFL history.
The Colts’ -274 point differential (points scored vs. points allowed) is the second-worst since the 1970 merger, second only to the 1976 expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who finished 0–14 (ironically, the next year's Colts team went winless as well). The 1981 Colts are the first of only two NFL teams since 1940 to suffer eleven losses in a season during which they never had a lead. The Colts allowed 40 points in 4 separate games during the season (including 3 games in a row from weeks 6-8), which is still an NFL record. According to Football Outsiders, they have the worst overall defense and passing defense in their ranking's history.
The season included a bizarre incident in which, during the Colts’ 38–13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 15, team owner Bob Irsay called plays from the coaches’ booth. Quarterback Bert Jones told Sports Illustrated in 1986:
   [Irsay] couldn’t have told you how many players there were on the field, never mind what plays we had. All he was trying to do was embarrass the coaches and the players. When he told me to run, I threw. When he told me to throw left, I ran right.

## Offseason
### NFL draft

1981 Baltimore Colts draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 12 | Randy McMillan | Fullback | Pittsburgh | |
| 1 | 18 | Donnell Thompson | Defensive end | North Carolina | from Minnesota |
| 3 | 68 | Randy Van Divier | Tackle | Washington | |
| 4 | 94 | Tim Sherwin | Tight end | Boston College | |
| 6 | 149 | Bubba Green | Defensive tackle | Penn State | |
| 7 | 178 | Obed Ariri | Kicker | Clemson | |
| 8 | 204 | Ken Sitton | Defensive back | Oklahoma | |
| 8 | 220 | Hosea Taylor | Defensive tackle | Houston | |
| 9 | 233 | Tim Gooch | Defensive tackle | Kentucky | |
| 10 | 256 | Gregg Gerken | Linebacker | Northern Arizona | |
| 10 | 259 | Trent Bryant | Cornerback | Arkansas | |
| 11 | 288 | Holden Smith | Wide receiver | North Carolina | |
| 12 | 315 | Eric Scoggins | Linebacker | USC | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 6 | at New England Patriots | W 29–28 | 1–0 | Schaefer Stadium | 49,572 |
| 2 | September 13 | Buffalo Bills | L 3–35 | 1–1 | Memorial Stadium | 45,772 |
| 3 | September 20 | at Denver Broncos | L 10–28 | 1–2 | Mile High Stadium | 74,804 |
| 4 | September 27 | Miami Dolphins | L 28–31 | 1–3 | Memorial Stadium | 41,630 |
| 5 | October 4 | at Buffalo Bills | L 17–23 | 1–4 | Rich Stadium | 77,811 |
| 6 | October 11 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 19–41 | 1–5 | Memorial Stadium | 33,060 |
| 7 | October 18 | San Diego Chargers | L 14–43 | 1–6 | Memorial Stadium | 41,921 |
| 8 | October 25 | at Cleveland Browns | L 28–42 | 1–7 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 78,986 |
| 9 | November 1 | at Miami Dolphins | L 10–27 | 1–8 | Miami Orange Bowl | 46,061 |
| 10 | November 8 | New York Jets | L 14–41 | 1–9 | Memorial Stadium | 31,521 |
| 11 | November 15 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 13–38 | 1–10 | Veterans Stadium | 68,618 |
| 12 | November 22 | St. Louis Cardinals | L 24–35 | 1–11 | Memorial Stadium | 24,784 |
| 13 | November 29 | at New York Jets | L 0–25 | 1–12 | Shea Stadium | 53,593 |
| 14 | December 6 | Dallas Cowboys | L 13–37 | 1–13 | Memorial Stadium | 54,871 |
| 15 | December 13 | at Washington Redskins | L 14–38 | 1–14 | RFK Stadium | 46,706 |
| 16 | December 20 | New England Patriots | W 23–21 | 2–14 | Memorial Stadium | 17,073 |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |||||||

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 10 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 29 |
| Patriots | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
at Schaefer Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: September 6
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 49,572
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Mike Wood 48-yard field goal. Colts 3–0.
BAL – Curtis Dickey 19-yard run (Mike Wood kick). Colts 10–0.
Second quarter
NE – Mosi Tatupu 8-yard pass from Andy Johnson (John Smith kick). Colts 10–7.
BAL – Mike Wood 19-yard field goal. Colts 13–7.
NE – Carlos Pennywell 22-yard pass from Steve Grogan (John Smith kick). Patriots 14–13.
Third quarter
BAL – Mike Wood 35-yard field goal. Colts 16–14.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Randy McMillan 35-yard run (kick failed). Colts 22–14.
NE – Don Calhoun 1-yard run (John Smith kick). Colts 22–21.
BAL – Randy McMillan 2-yard run (Mike Wood kick). Colts 29–21.
NE – Don Hasselbeck 4-yard pass from Steve Grogan (John Smith kick). Colts 29–28.
Top passers
BAL – Bert Jones – 12/20, 113 yards
NE – Steve Grogan – 14/27, 261 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
BAL – Randy McMillan – 16 rushes, 146 yards, 2 TD
NE – Tony Collins – 15 rushes, 81 yards
Top receivers
BAL – Roger Carr – 2 receptions, 34 yards
NE – Don Hasselbeck – 6 receptions, 111 yards, TD :
| Statistics | BAL | NE |
| First downs | 21 | 22 |
| Total yards | 346 | 388 |
| Rushing yards | 249 | 114 |
| Net passing yards | 97 | 274 |
| Sacked–yards | 2–16 | 3–11 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Penalties–yards | 10–75 | 8–84 |

#### Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: September 13
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 45,772
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Joe Cribbs 33-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 7–0.
Second quarter
BAL – Mike Wood 22-yard field goal. Bills 7–3.
BUF – Jerry Butler 54-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 14–3.
BUF – Mark Brammer 5-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 21–3.
Third quarter
BUF – Buster Barnett 3-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 28–3.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Roland Hooks 5-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 35–3.
Top passers
BUF – Joe Ferguson – 16/28, 261 yards, 4 TD, INT
BAL – Greg Landry – 7/17, 90 yards, INT
Top rushers
BUF – Joe Cribbs – 17 rushes, 66 yards
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 14 rushes, 35 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Frank Lewis – 4 receptions, 82 yards
BAL – Roger Carr – 4 receptions, 50 yards :
| Statistics | BUF | BAL |
| First downs | 26 | 11 |
| Total yards | 430 | 147 |
| Rushing yards | 169 | 73 |
| Net passing yards | 261 | 74 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 5–46 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 3 |
| Penalties–yards | 9–65 | 1–5 |

#### Week 3: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Broncos | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
* Date: September 20
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT/2:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 74,804
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
DEN – Ron Egloff 7-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick). Broncos 7–0.
DEN – Steve Watson 29-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick). Broncos 14–0.
Third quarter
BAL – Mike Wood 21-yard field goal. Broncos 14–3.
BAL – Curtis Dickey 63-yard run (Mike Wood kick). Broncos 14–10.
DEN – Steve Watson 18-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick). Broncos 21–10.
DEN – Steve Watson 48-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick). Broncos 28–10.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
BAL – Bert Jones – 7/19, 65 yards, INT
DEN – Craig Morton – 20/28, 291 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 12 rushes, 115 yards, TD
DEN – Rick Parros – 14 rushes, 65 yards
Top receivers
BAL – Randy McMillan – 4 receptions, 29 yards
DEN – Steve Watson – 7 receptions, 143 yards, 3 TD :
| Statistics | BAL | DEN |
| First downs | 10 | 27 |
| Total yards | 209 | 442 |
| Rushing yards | 161 | 127 |
| Net passing yards | 48 | 315 |
| Sacked–yards | 2–17 | 3–26 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 4 |
| Penalties–yards | 8–63 | 9–65 |

#### Week 4: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
| Colts | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: September 27
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 41,630
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Tommy Vigorito 31-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 7–0.
Second quarter
MIA – Andra Franklin 10-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 14–0.
BAL – Curtis Dickey 32-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Dolphins 14–7.
Third quarter
BAL – Ray Butler 19-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Tied 14–14.
MIA – Nick Giaquinto 14-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 21–14.
BAL – Ray Butler 67-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Tied 21–21.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Andra Franklin 1-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 28–21.
BAL – Curtis Dickey 1-yard run (Mike Wood kick). Tied 28–28.
MIA – Uwe von Schamann 27-yard field goal. Dolphins 31–28.
Top passers
MIA – David Woodley – 19/30, 309 yards, 2 TD
BAL – Bert Jones – 20/27, 357 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIA – Andra Franklin – 20 rushes, 76 yards, 2 TD
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 13 rushes, 77 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIA – Duriel Harris – 3 receptions, 73 yards
BAL – Ray Butler – 4 receptions, 145 yards, 2 TD :
| Statistics | MIA | BAL |
| First downs | 22 | 20 |
| Total yards | 428 | 514 |
| Rushing yards | 119 | 166 |
| Net passing yards | 309 | 348 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 1–9 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties–yards | 4–35 | 6–52 |

#### Week 5: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| Bills | 14 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: October 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 77,811
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Jerry Butler 16-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 7–0.
BUF – Roosevelt Leaks 1-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 14–0.
Second quarter
BAL – Mike Wood 32-yard field goal. Bills 14–3.
Third quarter
BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 34-yard field goal. Bills 17–3.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Roger Carr 6-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Bills 17–10.
BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 44-yard field goal. Bills 20–10.
BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 45-yard field goal. Bills 23–10.
BAL – Ray Butler 14-yard pass from Bert Jones (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 23–17.
Top passers
BAL – Bert Jones – 22/36, 275 yards, 2 TD, INT
BUF – Joe Ferguson – 14/29, 148 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 10 rushes, 78 yards
BUF – Joe Cribbs – 17 rushes, 159 yards
Top receivers
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 3 receptions, 80 yards
BUF – Jerry Butler – 4 receptions, 73 yards, TD :
| Statistics | BAL | BUF |
| First downs | 23 | 22 |
| Total yards | 378 | 366 |
| Rushing yards | 133 | 229 |
| Net passing yards | 245 | 137 |
| Sacked–yards | 4–30 | 1–11 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Penalties–yards | 10–55 | 7–49 |

#### Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 3 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 41 |
| Colts | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 19 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: October 11
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Mostly sunny, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 33,060
* Referee: Fred Wyant
* TV: NBC
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – Jim Breech 38-yard field goal. Bengals 3–0.
Second quarter
BAL – Pat McInally punt blocked out of end zone. Bengals 3–2.
BAL – Mike Wood 19-yard field goal. Colts 5–3.
CIN – Cris Collinsworth 18-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Jim Breech kick). Bengals 10–5.
CIN – David Verser 20-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Jim Breech kick). Bengals 17–5.
Third quarter
CIN – Dan Ross 2-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Jim Breech kick). Bengals 24–5.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Cleveland Franklin 1-yard run (Mike Wood kick). Bengals 24–12.
CIN – Jim Breech 24-yard field goal. Bengals 27–12.
CIN – Pete Johnson 1-yard run (Jim Breech kick). Bengals 34–12.
BAL – Reese McCall 65-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Bengals 34–19.
CIN – Jimmy Hargrove 1-yard run (Jim Breech kick). Bengals 41–19.
Top passer
CIN – Ken Anderson – 21/27, 257 yards, 3 TD
BAL – Bert Jones – 22/30, 310 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
CIN – Pete Johnson – 20 rushes, 75 yards, TD
BAL – Zachary Dixon – 6 rushes, 23 yards
Top receivers
CIN – Dan Ross – 7 receptions, 106 yards, TD
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 11 receptions, 88 yards :
| Statistics | CIN | BAL |
| First downs | 24 | 22 |
| Total yards | 378 | 350 |
| Rushing yards | 121 | 56 |
| Net passing yards | 257 | 294 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 4–42 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 4 |
| Penalties–yards | 5–54 | 6–51 |

#### Week 7: vs. San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 43 |
| Colts | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: October 18
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 41,921
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers (NBC): Phil Stone and Gene Washington
* Box score
Game information :
BAL – Roger Carr 29-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Colts 7–0.
SD – Chuck Muncie 3-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick). Tied 7–7.
Second quarter
SD – John Cappelletti 12-yard pass from Dan Fouts (kick field). Chargers 13–7.
SD – Charlie Joiner 23-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick). Chargers 20–7.
SD – Rolf Benirschke 30-yard field goal. Chargers 23–7.
Third quarter
SD – Chuck Muncie 3-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick). Chargers 30–7.
BAL – Curtis Dickey 5-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Chargers 30–14.
Fourth quarter
SD – John Cappelletti 1-yard run (kick failed). Chargers 36–14.
SD – Clarence Williams 7-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick). Chargers 43–14.
Top passers
SD – Dan Fouts – 26/43, 298 yards, 3 TD
BAL – Bert Jones – 20/37, 255 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
SD – James Brooks – 14 rushes, 72 yards
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 6 rushes, 32 yards
Top receivers
SD – Charlie Joiner – 6 receptions, 82 yards, TD
BAL – Roger Carr – 3 receptions, 63 yards, TD :
| Statistics | SD | BAL |
| First downs | 30 | 18 |
| Total yards | 470 | 264 |
| Rushing yards | 172 | 68 |
| Net passing yards | 298 | 196 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 6–59 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Penalties–yards | 6–30 | 5–45 |

#### Week 8: at Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| Browns | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: October 25
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,986
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Ozzie Newsome 1-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Matt Bahr kick). Browns 7–0.
Second quarter
CLE – Greg Pruitt 22-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Matt Bahr kick). Browns 14–0.
CLE – Dave Logan 40-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Matt Bahr kick). Browns 21–0.
BAL – Curtis Dickey 3-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Browns 21–7.
CLE – Charles White 2-yard run (Matt Bahr kick). Browns 28–7.
Third quarter
BAL – Greg Landry 11-yard fumble return (Mike Wood kick). Browns 28–14.
BAL – Ray Butler 36-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Browns 28–21.
CLE – Ricky Feacher 28-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Matt Bahr kick). Browns 35–21.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Ray Butler 5-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Browns 35–28.
CLE – Mike Pruitt 16-yard run (Matt Bahr kick). Browns 42–28.
Top passers
BAL – Bert Jones – 17/37, 249 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
CLE – Brian Sipe – 30/41, 444 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
BAL – Randy McMillan – 14 rushes, 57 yards
CLE – Mike Pruitt – 16 rushes, 87 yards, TD
Top receivers
BAL – Roger Carr – 3 receptions, 58 yards
CLE – Greg Pruitt – 9 receptions, 104 yards, TD :
| Statistics | BAL | CLE |
| First downs | 18 | 30 |
| Total yards | 357 | 562 |
| Rushing yards | 118 | 131 |
| Net passing yards | 239 | 431 |
| Sacked–yards | 2–10 | 1–13 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 6 |
| Penalties–yards | 5–33 | 6–56 |

#### Week 9: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 27 |
at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
* Date: November 1
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Mostly sunny, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 46,061
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – David Woodley 3-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 7–0.
Second quarter
BAL – Don McCauley 5-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Tied 7–7.
MIA – Duriel Harris 22-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 14–7.
BAL – Mike Wood 44-yard field goal. Dolphins 14–10.
Third quarter
MIA – Uwe von Schamann 41-yard field goal. Dolphins 17–10.
MIA – Ronnie Lee 7-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 24–10.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Uwe von Schamann 32-yard field goal. Dolphins 27–10.
Top passers
BAL – Bert Jones – 23/37, 248 yards, TD, 2 INT
MIA – David Woodley – 14/25, 164 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 9 rushes, 31 yards
MIA – Andra Franklin – 23 rushes, 101 yards
Top receivers
BAL – Randy McMillan – 9 receptions, 78 yards
MIA – Bruce Hardy – 4 receptions, 54 yards :
| Statistics | BAL | MIA |
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Total yards | 308 | 310 |
| Rushing yards | 68 | 146 |
| Net passing yards | 240 | 164 |
| Sacked–yards | 1–8 | 0–0 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Penalties–yards | 7–58 | 6–55 |

#### Week 10: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 10 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: November 8
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Clear, 49 °F (9 °C)
* Game attendance: 31,521
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Pat Leahy 25-yard field goal. Jets 3–0.
BAL – Randy McMillan 2-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Colts 7–3.
NYJ – Wesley Walker 34-yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 10–7.
Second quarter
BAL – Randy McMillan 1-yard run (Mike Wood kick). Colts 14–10.
NYJ – Mike Augustyniak 1-yard run (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 17–14.
NYJ – Lam Jones 25-yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 24–14.
Third quarter
NYJ – Kevin Long 1-yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 31–14.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Bruce Harper 3-yard run (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 38–14.
NYJ – Pat Leahy 41-yard field goal. Jets 41–14.
Top passers
NYJ – Richard Tod – 21/31, 277 yards, 3 TD
BAL – Bert Jones – 24/33, 243 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Bruce Harper – 10 rushes, 44 yards, TD
BAL – Zachary Dixon – 9 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
NYJ – Wesley Walker – 3 receptions, 94 yards, TD
BAL – Randy McMillan – 11 receptions, 68 yards, TD :
| Statistics | NYJ | BAL |
| First downs | 28 | 21 |
| Total yards | 393 | 332 |
| Rushing yards | 122 | 114 |
| Net passing yards | 271 | 218 |
| Sacked–yards | 1–6 | 2–25 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Penalties–yards | 4–25 | 6–74 |

#### Week 11: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Eagles | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 15
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 51 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 68,618
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
PHI – Keith Krepfle 15-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Tony Franklin kick). Eagles 7–0.
BAL – Curtis Dickey 1-yard run (kick failed). Eagles 7–6.
Second quarter
PHI – Wilbert Montgomery 5-yard run (Tony Franklin kick). Eagles 14–6.
PHI – Wilbert Montgomery 1-yard run (Tony Franklin kick). Eagles 21–6.
Third quarter
PHI – Tony Franklin 32-yard field goal. Eagles 24–6.
PHI – Charlie Smith 30-yard pass from Ron Jaworski (Tony Franklin kick). Eagles 31–6.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Zachary Dixon 17-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Eagles 31–13.
PHI – Wally Henry 44-yard pass from Joe Pisarcik (Tony Franklin kick). Eagles 38–13.
Top passers
BAL – Bert Jones – 8/17, 93 yards, TD, INT
PHI – Ron Jaworski – 19/29, 294 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 6 rushes, 17 yards, TD
PHI – Wilbert Montgomery – 22 rushes, 115 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
BAL – Ray Butler – 3 receptions, 54 yards
PHI – Harold Carmichael – 7 receptions, 93 yards :
| Statistics | BAL | PHI |
| First downs | 9 | 34 |
| Total yards | 208 | 574 |
| Rushing yards | 36 | 235 |
| Net passing yards | 172 | 339 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 1–13 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Penalties–yards | 7–53 | 6–45 |

#### Week 12: vs. St. Louis Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Colts | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: November 22
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 39 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 24,784
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Ottis Anderson 4-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Cardinals 7–0.
BAL – Curtis Dickey 36-yard run (Mike Wood kick). Tied 7–7.
STL – Dave Ahrens 14-yard interception return (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Cardinals 14–7.
BAL – Mike Wood 40-yard field goal. Cardinals 14–10.
Second quarter
STL – Neil Lomax 10-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Cardinals 21–10.
Third quarter
BAL – Roger Carr 5-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Cardinals 21–17.
STL – Wayne Morris 3-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Cardinals 28–17.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Ray Butler 8-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Cardinals 28–24.
STL – Ottis Anderson 11-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick). Cardinals 35–24.
Top passers
STL – Neil Lomax – 12/21, 219 yards
BAL – Bert Jones – 23/45, 230 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
STL – Ottis Anderson – 29 rushes, 130 yards, 2 TD
BAL – Zachary Dixon – 12 rushes, 64 yards
Top receivers
STL – Pat Tilley – 5 receptions, 158 yards
BAL – Randy McMillan – 4 receptions, 59 yards :
| Statistics | STL | BAL |
| First downs | 24 | 22 |
| Total yards | 452 | 385 |
| Rushing yards | 241 | 155 |
| Net passing yards | 211 | 230 |
| Sacked–yards | 1–8 | 0–0 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Penalties–yards | 7–60 | 6–54 |

#### Week 13: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jets | 7 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 25 |
at Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York
* Date: November 29
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 42 °F (6 °C)
* Game attendance: 53,593
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
NJY – Freeman McNeil 30-yard run (Pat Leahy kick). Jets 7–0.
Second quarter
NYJ – Pat Leahy 37-yard field goal. Jets 10–0.
NYJ – Pat Leahy 22-yard field goal. Jets 13–0.
Third quarter
NYJ – Freeman Mcneil 1-yard run (kick failed). Jets 19–0.
NYJ – Pat Leahy 27-yard field goal. Jets 22–0.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Pat Leahy 27-yard field goal. Jets 25–0.
Top passers
BAL – Bert Jones – 10/24, 142 yards, INT
NYJ – Richard Todd – 16/28, 143 yards
Top rushers
BAL – Zachary Dixon – 12 rushes, 22 yards
NYJ – Freeman McNeil – 24 rushes, 93 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
BAL – Ray Butler – 5 receptions, 88 yards
NYJ – Bobby Jones – 4 receptions, 46 yards :
| Statistics | BAL | NYJ |
| First downs | 11 | 22 |
| Total yards | 152 | 300 |
| Rushing yards | 49 | 161 |
| Net passing yards | 103 | 139 |
| Sacked–yards | 5–39 | 1–4 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties–yards | 9–82 | 6–40 |

#### Week 14: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 17 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 37 |
| Colts | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: December 6
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Cold, 39 °F (4 °C), wind chill 29 °F (−2 °C)
* Game attendance: 54,871
* Referee: Ben Dreith
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Kelly and John Dockery
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Ron Springs 1-yard run (Rafael Septién kick). Cowboys 7–0.
DAL – Rafael Septién 42-yard field goal. Cowboys 10–0.
DAL – Ron Springs 2-yard run (Rafael Septién kick). Cowboys 17–0.
BAL – Curtis Dickey 20-yard run (kick failed). Cowboys 17–6.
Second quarter
DAL – Ron Springs 2-yard pass from Glenn Carano (Rafael Septién kick). Cowboys 24–6.
DAL – Rafael Septién 35-yard field goal. Cowboys 27–6.
Third quarter
BAL – Curtis Dickey 20-yard run (Mike Wood kick). Cowboys 27–13.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Rafael Septién 31-yard field goal. Cowboys 30–13.
DAL – James Jones 59-yard run (Rafael Septién kick). Cowboys 37–13.
Top passers
DAL – Drew Pearson – 1/1, 59 yards
BAL – David Humm – 7/24, 90 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
DAL – Tony Dorsett – 30 rushes, 175 yards
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 15 rushes, 130 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DAL – Tony Hill – 2 receptions, 69 yards
BAL – Ray Butler – 3 receptions, 40 yards :
| Statistics | DAL | BAL |
| First downs | 29 | 9 |
| Total yards | 464 | 238 |
| Rushing yards | 354 | 156 |
| Net passing yards | 110 | 82 |
| Sacked–yards | 0–0 | 1–8 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Penalties–yards | 6–33 | 11–87 |

#### Week 15: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Redskins | 7 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 38 |
at RFK Stadium, Washington, D. C.
* Date: December 13
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
* Game attendance: 46,706
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
WAS – Virgil Seay 38-yard pass from Joe Theismann (Mark Moseley kick). Redskins 7–0.
BAL – Ray Butler 10-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Tied 7–7.
Second quarter
WAS – John Riggins 8-yard run (Mark Moseley kick). Redskins 14–7.
WAS – John Riggins 14-yard run (Mark Moseley kick). Redskins 21–7.
WAS – Joe Theismann 8-yard run (Mark Moseley kick). Redskins 28–7.
Third quarter
WAS – Art Monk 13-yard pass from Joe Theismann (Mark Moseley kick). Redskins 35–7.
BAL – Reese McCall 6-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Redskins 35–14.
WAS – Mark Moseley 32-yard field goal. Redskins 38–14.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
BAL – Bert Jones – 14/25, 217 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
WAS – Joe Theismann – 23/36, 339 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
BAL – Curtis Dickey – 17 rushes, 56 yards
WAS – Joe Washington – 20 rushes, 73 yards
Top receivers
BAL – Roger Carr – 6 receptions, 114 yards
WAS – Art Monk – 7 receptions, 148 yards, TD :
| Statistics | BAL | WAS |
| First downs | 21 | 27 |
| Total yards | 337 | 486 |
| Rushing yards | 120 | 147 |
| Net passing yards | 217 | 339 |
| Sacked–yards | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Penalties–yards | 3–73 | 6–60 |

#### Week 16: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Colts | 10 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 23 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: December 20
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Mostly sunny, 21 °F (−6 °C)
* Game attendance: 17,073
* Referee: Ben Dreith
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Mike Wood 30-yard field goal. Colts 3–0.
NE – Sam Cunningham 4-yard run (John Smith kick). Patriots 7–3.
BAL – Don McCauley 5-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Colts 10–7.
Second quarter
NE – Don Westbrook 15-yard pass from Tom Owen (John Smith kick). Patriots 14–10.
BAL – Ray Butler 53-yard pass from Bert Jones (Mike Wood kick). Colts 17–14.
Third quarter
BAL – Ray Butler 37-yard pass from Bert Jones (kick failed). Colts 23–14.
Fourth quarter
NE – Don Westbrook 2-yard pass from Matt Cavanaugh (John Smith kick). Colts 23–21.
Top passers
NE – Matt Cavanaugh – 11/16, 145 yards, TD
BAL – Bert Jones – 17/28, 267 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
NE – Don Calhoun – 9 rushes, 34 yards
BAL – Zachary Dixon – 13 rushes, 52 yards
Top receivers
NE – Harold Jackson – 4 receptions, 71 yards
BAL – Ray Butler – 2 receptions, 90 yards, 2 TD :
| Statistics | NE | BAL |
| First downs | 20 | 19 |
| Total yards | 350 | 383 |
| Rushing yards | 77 | 128 |
| Net passing yards | 273 | 255 |
| Sacked–yards | 1–8 | 1–12 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 2 |
| Penalties–yards | 6–20 | 6–53 |
The Colts ended the 1981 season by snapping their 14-game losing streak and swept the Patriots. However, the win would cause the Colts to lose out on the first overall pick in the following draft, which would go the Patriots, and the Colts would secure the second overall pick instead.

### Standings

AFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Miami Dolphins$^{(2)}$ | 11 | 4 | 1 | .719 | 5–2–1 | 8–3–1 | 345 | 275 | W4 |
| New York Jets$^{(4)}$ | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 6–1–1 | 8–5–1 | 355 | 287 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills$^{(5)}$ | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 311 | 276 | L1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–6 | 2–10 | 259 | 533 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–8 | 2–10 | 322 | 370 | L9 |

## Records set

* Most Points Allowed, Season, 533
* Worst Point Differential, 16-game season, -274
* Most First-Half Points Allowed, 16-game season, 307
* Most Touchdowns Allowed, Season, 68
* Most First Downs Allowed Season, 406
* Fewest Punt Returns, Season, 12